Backrest



July 1, 1969 w. M. EMERY 3,452,372

A BACKREST Filed April 7, 1967 l sheet of 2 W. M. EMERY July 1, 1969 BACKREST Ag ouf 2 Sheet Filed April 7. 1967 /NVE/VTOR nited States Patent 3,452,372 BACKRES'I William M. Emery, 44 Pittsford Way, New Providence, NJ. 07974 Filed Apr. 7, 1967, Ser. No. 632,881 Int. Cl. A47c 2.7/08; B60n 1/02 U.S. Cl. 327 11 Claims ABSTRACT 0F THE DISCLOSURE Cross-references The applicants backrest #3,041,637, #D190,806, #3,293,669, mattress elevator #3,021,533 and knee lift #D188,892.

Background In the eld of inexpensive sleeping attachments of a mailable size used mostly on top of mattresses primarily to raise the upper part of the body, but lalso for raising the legs and feet, one of the unsolved major problems always has been the tendency of a sleeper (especially at steeper angles) not only to slide down on the incline, but also `to push the device back and away, which, of course, reaccentuates the sliding down and in many cases negates the benefits of the inclination especially when medical reasons are involved.

This has in the past limited the virtue of designing backrests and mattress elevating devices that produce angular elevations in the higher ranges of incline, land even when needed and included, customer dissatisfaction often results because they recognize in it the design defect described.

Comfort especially while back sleeping is further increased by having the knees slightly raised `and flexed. Except (l) for my unique longitudinal adjustment of spacing between the back and knee elevating units, (2) the portable and on-the-top-of-the-mattress characteristics, and (3) except also for my unique embodiment using accentuated frictional characteristics, back and knee, elevation per se is not novel and has been built into the underthe-mattress supporting framework of hospital beds for many years.

Incident to the solution of these problems, I also devised a new method of economically producing a wide selectable range of inclinations including sleeping inclinations that previously had little or no virtue for the reasons just set forth, but now are valuable. I refer to the die cut tree-ladder, the cooperating notched brace member, the upwardly converging elastic strands, a unique knee ele vating device hereafter described as Well as a backrest platen complete with padding, heat sealed within a covering of vinyl sheeting, the unique requirements of which gave birth to said tree-ladder.

These ingeniously attained results are the culmination of objects of my present invention. Other objects and their accomplishment will be obvious from the following speciiication, claims and drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is 4a side elevation with the backrest shown in an operable position;

FIG. 2 is a rear elevation of FIG. 1 viewed from the left of the drawing;

FIG. 3 shows the rear of the backrest when it is folded fiat for storage;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary section taken on line 4 4 of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is an exploded view of the mechanical supporting and angle selecting parts shown assembled in FIG. 2;

FIG. 6 shows an adjustable flexible connection;

FIG. 7 is an Orthographie view of a knee or leg elevating device, and

FIG. `8 is an Orthographie View of a back support and knee lift frictionally interrelated and spaced.

As shown in FIGS. 1, 4 'and 5 the back supporting section 8 of my backrest includes a board or stiffening member .10, padding 11, vinyl sheeting 13 and 14 completely covering and substantially hermetically sealing parts 10 and 11. A seat and anchorage 9 is comprised of a lesser pad 12 covered by vinyl sheeting 15 and 16 which are inte-gral extensions of 13 and 14, respectively, heat sealed at 17 and peripherally sealed at 18 and 19, respectively. The end of pad 12 is enlarged at 20 as shown to raise the thighs and produce a buttocks pocket.

Attached -by screws through sheeting 14 into board 10 are plastic hinge sockets 23. Inwardly bent ends 25 of Wire spacer bail 26 are journaled therein. The opposite end 22 of bail 26 is journaled in plastic feet 27 which are stapled to the lower and wider end 28 of trapezoidal brace 29. The short end 30 of 29 provides ends 32 and 33 which contact and brace against the vinyl 14 covering back of board 10. End 30 also provides a central relief 34. 29A is the outside of brace 29 and 29B identities the normally inside of 29.

Tree-ladder 40 in the embodiment shown is die cut from 1A plywood sheeting and stapled with uncleated staples through thin vinyl sheet 14 to attach said treeladder securely to the upper half of the back of board 10 which may be wood, paper, wallboard or other stiff sheet or artificial platen. Ladder 40 includes integrally upper part 41, central core or trunk portion 42 suitable for straddling -by relief 34 and a plurality of side notches 43 forming lateral branches, steps or stops 39 which are engageable by inner corners or edges 44 and 45 of 29. Ladder 40 provides the largest possible number of selectable engageable stops for 29 which positions back 10 at a very wide variety of angles of recline, including steep angles and ingeniously does so with the greatest simplicity of construction and minimum cost.

Accordingly, my backrest consists of three parts 8, 26, 29 in a triangular relationship with a loose apex formed by the juncture of inner corners 44 and 45 with side notches 43 of ladder 40.

To maintain the engagement of said inner corners 44 and 45 with notches 43 and branches 39 a complete triangularly disposed loop of elastic cord 46 under tension is held at its apex under or near upper part 41 of tree-ladder 40 and in notches 53 and 54 cut in the converging sides of brace 29 spaced horizontally apart. 'Ihe converging and somewhat opposed angles 50 and 51 of elastic loop 52 tend to center and guide ends 32 and 33 of 29 to engage the desired selectable notches 43 and maintain the central relief 34 in alignment with the ladder core or trunk 42 when the user desires to alter the angle of recline by shifting -to other notches 43.

Customarily sheets 13 and 15 are colorful floral prints on vinyl. Sheets 14 and 16 are made of a less expensive vinyl of a harmonizing plain color, since these sheets completely seal the padding 11 and 12 and board 10, the enclosed parts can be made of less eye appealing material of a less expensive grade and the hermetical heat sealing of the vinyl retards deterioration of the padding due to oxidation.

The tree-ladder 40 customarily provides ten or more notches, branches or selectable an-gles without making conspicuous r easily tearable holes in sheet 14, or board 10, as shown in my other patents. Nor is it necessary to use adhesive therebetween which is undesirable with thin vinyl since effective vinyl adhesives partially dissolve the thin sheeting.

Previous devices to resiliently draw together parts equivalent to 29 and 10 into selected positions used a single elastic tape or ribbon operable on the center line of the parts. Working only at dead center, it allowed considerable free lateral movement and misalignment whereas the triangular disposition of stressed elastic loop 43 with its apex at the top of the tree-ladder 40, its converging sides 50 and S1 starting from horizontally spaced apart notches 47 and 4S in 29, held in place by the elasticity of horizontal base 55 and the triangularly disposed loop 46 tends to avoid said free lateral movement while providing a self-centering alignment which can be directed and adjusted by shifting longitudinal loop -base 55 left or right horizontally.

When my backrest is completely collapsed as shown in FIG. 3, brace 29 is reversed with the normally inside surface 29B exposed and the normally youtside surface 29A facing inward. Thus the horizontal base 55 of elastic loop 46 is on the outside and the converging angles 50 and 51 are inside thus drawing closely together the assembled parts including bail 26, brace 29 and back section 8.

It should be noted that starting with the back rest folded flat as shown in FIG. 3, if the user were to place one hand on the nearest plastic foot 27 and his other hand on the adjacent upper corner of the back 8, and then separate his hands, the elastic loop 46 and its converging angles 50 and 51 would cause brace 29` to pivot on bail end 22 until the short end 30 of 29 cleared back sheet 14 and then be further drawn and guided by the converging elastic strands until relief 34 engages core 42 of treeladder 40 and the ends 32 and 33 firmly engage side notches 43 coming to rest on vinyl 14. No method so simple and effective has ever been devised in the art as this notch and tree-ladder method and it is the applicants intention to adopt it for other models even when the back is not vinyl covered or padded, thereby replacing the holes in the back board shown in Patent #3,293,669.

Using a straight elastic braid on the center line of the assembly made diicult the providing of sufficient stretch at suflicient tension when end 34 almost contacts sheet 14 when brace 29 was reversing its position shown in FIG. 3 to that shown in FIG. 2, and also to hold end 34 securely in engagement in the selected notch 43 and also be able to hold the parts as shown in FIG. 3. Whereas When an elastic loop or triangle is used which provides converging cords, then a lesser stretch tension ratio is required or less ratio of initial length to maximum length under stress is needed.

The extension 9 per se of the vinyl covering is sufficient to prevent only the backward sliding of the backrest so noticeable when used at a steep angle of recline but the enlargement 20 creates a buttocks pocket 21 between 20 and panel 8 that also resists any tendency to slide down on panel 8 at steep angles.

FIG. 7 shows a knee or thigh lift 60 which has two oppositely tapered ends or thin edges 61 and 62, an ex-J tended truncated top 63, a stiif panel core 64 similar to 10. Inner section 65 may be lled with any pillow stufng material. A covering of vinyl sheeting 67 is stapled to the under side of board panel '64. A sheet of plastic 66 or rubber foam or other material which has a very high coeticient of friction against bed sheets, etc., is then attached to the under side of panel 64 with adhesive or staples. This normally rests on the bed sheet which covers a mattress.

FIG. 6 shows a hook 70 which may engage any fastener such as screw eyes 71 which screws into panel 10. A exible fabric strap 72 adjustable in length by buckle '73 interconnects hook 70 and a clamp 74 which is capable of being clamped on either end of tapered end 61. Thus strap 72 adjusts the longitudinal spacing between the backrest panel 10 and the knee or thigh lift 60 forming therebetween a buttocks pocket of selectable size to fit the user and prevent his sliding down on panel 8 or his pushing panel 8 back and away from knee lift 60 both of which would otherwise be accentuated when the backrest is adjusted to the higher angles of recline available with tree-ladder 40, rendering said angles functionally usable.

FIG. 8 sets forth a knee lift 80` quite similar in construction to with a similar bottom facing 66 of foam material with a high coecient of friction against material such as a conventional bed sheet such as 85 on a mattress such as 86.

FIG. 8 also shows a body support or elevator 81 which may be used on top of a mattress 86, and spaced from knee lift at any distance comfortable for and convenient to the user. The novel construction of knee lifts 60 and 80 is continued in body support S1 and need not be repeated except to point out that its bottom facing 83 is similar to 66 of the knee lift and both have such a uniquely high coetiicient of friction against a bed sheet 85 that a strap interconnection is not necessary to space or locate them. With a buttocks pocket formed therebetween, the frictional grip is suicient to provide fixed spacing to prevent the sleeping or relaxed user from sliding down incline 84 and to prevent either knee lift 80 or elevator 81 from sliding away one from the other and is found quite effective therefor in connection with elevating devices having a length such as 27 inches and elevation such as 16 inches. Dimensions are given without intent of limitation.

Also included in my conception and claims is the use of a flexible adjustable interconnection between a knee lift 80 on top of a mattress and a body elevator underneath the mattress such as is shown in my Patent #3,021,533. This combination is very comfortable and likewise effective in providing the essential buttocks pocket therebetween.

Accordingly, I claim:

1. A backrest adapted for use at a steep angle on top of a bed having a base member, a back supporting platen member, a platen angle determining member, said last two members being journaled to said base member, and means to selectively set the angle of said back support member by varying the point of contact of the angle determining member on the rear of said back support member, said means comprising a tree-ladder with a plurality of arms extending oppositely from both sides of a central trunk attached to said rear of the said back sur porting member and a centrally disposed notch in the contacting end of the platen angle determining member, said trunk cooperating with said notch to center said angle determining member when the end of said member is in engagement with said opposite arms of said treeladder, and said back supporting member comprising a rigid platen, a pad, a front cover, a rear cover, said covers being peripherally joined, and a continuation of said covers likewise joined with just the pad therebetween adjoining one end of said back supporting member in a manner rendering it convenient to sit thereon and thereby preventing said backrest from slipping backwards when used at a steep angle.

2. A portable backrest for use on top of a bed at a steep angle, having a base member, a back supporting platen member, a platen angle determining member, said last two members being journaled to said base member, and means to selectively set the angle of said back support member by varying the point of contact of the angle determining member on the rear of said back support member, said means comprising a tree-ladder with a plurality of arms extending oppositely from both sides of a central trunk attached to said rear of the back supporting member and a centrally disposed notch in the contacting end of the platen `angle determining member, said trunk cooperating with said notch to center said angle determining member when the end of said member is in engagement with opposite arms of said tree-ladder.

3. A backrest as set forth in claim 1 wherein said back supporting member is heat sealed between ltwo sheets of vinyl, one sheet being between the rear of said platen and said tree-ladder.

`fl. A backrest as set forth in claim 1 wherein said tree ladder is die cut from plywood.

5. A backrest as set forth in claim 1 wherein an elastic member is divergently angled from the upper part of said tree-ladder to the lower part of said angle determining member, and acts to maintain engagement between said member and said tree-ladder and also acts to maintain all three members substantially parallel and adjacent when said backrest is closed for storage.

6. A backrest as set forth in claim 5 wherein said elastic member is a loop.

7. A portable backrest for use on top of a bed, having a back supporting member comprising a rigid platen, a pad, a front cover, a rear cover, said covers being peripherally joined, and a continuation of said covers likewise joined together with a pad therebetween adjacent one end of said back supporting member in a manner rendering it convenient to sit thereon and thereby preventing said backrest from slipping backwards when used at a steep angle.

8. A backrest as set forth in claim 7 wherein said covers are plastic and heat sealed together.

9. A backrest as set forth in claim 7 wherein said covers are fabric and peripherally sewed together.

10. A backrest as set forth in claim 7 wherein said front and back covers are joined between the pad of the back support member and the second pad.

11. A backrest as set forth in claim 7 wherein the pad of the back support member is thicker than the second pad.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 947,383 1/1910 Greaves 5-327 1,151,894 8/1915 Meinecke. 2,834,032 5/ 1958 Scott 5-327 2,940,088 6/1960t Boos 5--327 3,087,170 4/19613 Emery 5-327 3,101,972 8/ 1963 Laughlin. 3,284,817 11/19'616 Landwirth 5-327 3,353,196 11/1967 Guillon 5-327 3,378,861 -4/ 1968 Louisberg 5-327 3,353,196 11/1967 Guillon 5-327 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner. ANDREW M. CALVERT, Assistant Examiner.

U.S. C1. X.R. 297-378 

